trib.al – The cost of college Want to understand how much college costs? It’s harder than you think. “Coffee is required.” By Phillip B. Levine November 17 at 11:44 AM As we reported last week, calculating college costs can be utterly baffling. Phillip B. Levine, an economics professor at Wellesley College, argues that every school should offer a simplified financial aid calculator — or risk losing talented low-income prospects.